


Forgiveness

by Patricia_Sage



Series: Taako Alone [3]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Barry Bluejeans Loves Lup, Barry Bluejeans and Lup in Love, Campaign: Balance (The Adventure Zone), F/F, F/M, Gen, Good Sibling Lup (The Adventure Zone), IPRE Crew | Starblaster Crew as Family, Kravitz Loves Taako (The Adventure Zone), Lup Angst (The Adventure Zone), Lup in the Umbra Staff (The Adventure Zone), M/M, Merle Highchurch is a Good Friend, Post-Campaign: Balance (The Adventure Zone), Post-Episode: e067-069 Story and Song Parts 1-3, Protective Lup, Sad The Director | Lucretia, Sizzle It Up with Taako (The Adventure Zone), Spoilers, Taako & Lup Week, Taako Angst (The Adventure Zone), Taako Backstory (The Adventure Zone), Taako Character Study (The Adventure Zone), Taako Has Issues (The Adventure Zone), Taako Loves Kravitz (The Adventure Zone), The Director | Lucretia Angst, The Director | Lucretia is a Mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:07:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27765712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patricia_Sage/pseuds/Patricia_Sage
Summary: Taako sighs and takes off his hat, wringing the rim of it in his dark, scarred hands. Lup dissipates some of her aggressive energy at the sight of his walls coming down. It’s sibling honesty time.“I understand why Lucretia did it. I respect it and I respect her.” He stares at the kitchen tiles. “I don’t hate her. I just can’t forgive her.”
Relationships: Angus McDonald & Taako, Barry Bluejeans & Magnus Burnsides & Davenport & Merle Highchurch & Lucretia & Lup & Taako, Barry Bluejeans/Lup, Kravitz & Lup (The Adventure Zone), Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone), Lup & Taako (The Adventure Zone), Magnus Burnsides & Merle Highchurch & Taako, Magnus Burnsides & The Director | Lucretia, The Director | Lucretia & Lup, The Director | Lucretia & Merle Highchurch, The Director | Lucretia & Taako
Series: Taako Alone [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2031121
Comments: 2
Kudos: 67





	Forgiveness

Merle’s house isn’t big enough for all of them, especially with the addition of Kravitz, Mavis and Mookie, Killian, Carey, and Angus. But the weather is so nice that they spend most of their time on the beach, anyway. Lup’s on her way to the kitchen to grab another beer for her and Barry when she hears sniffling coming from the living room. Oh no, that won’t do, nobody cries on a Reunion Day.

As she rounds the corner, ready to tackle someone or give a spectacular pep-talk, she sees that she is not needed. Lucretia is sitting on the couch, wiping her tears on a dark handkerchief. It hurts Lup to see her friend look so worn down, so much older. The elf knows from experience that Lucretia doesn’t respond very well to aggressive comfort, so she’s happy to see Merle sitting on the couch too. Merle and Lucretia always had similar energies, and Lup can see that the cleric is grounding Lucretia in her moment of vulnerability. Lup quietly backs out of the room before they notice her.

But Lucretia speaks before Lup is out of earshot. “He told me he can’t forgive me.” Her voice is an awful combination of heartbroken and resigned. Lup’s curiousity and concern holds her in place. Her heartbeat stumbles when she hears her brother’s name from Merle’s lips.

“You know Taako. He’s stubborn, but he’ll come around.”

“I don’t know if he will.” Lucretia sounds so fragile in that moment. Protectiveness blooms in Lup’s ribcage and she storms to the kitchen.

Taako is delicately placing garnishes on a plate of little sandwiches. His “Kiss the Cook” apron protects his flowy, white shirt from any stains. The shell earring that Merle gave him is tangled in his braid. And Lup loves him more than she loves anyone else on any planet, but she is so pissed at him right now.

“Hey, asshole, stop being so mean to Lucretia.”

Taako turns around. With Kravitz’s encouragement, he no longer casts _Disguise Self_ every day, and Lup is only just getting used to his new, average looks. “I’m not being mean to Lucretia.”

“Well, she’s not crying in Merle’s living room right now because that’s a fun beach activity.” Taako’s mouth tightens and he looks genuinely sad. “I know what happened was brutal, but she did what she thought was right, Taako. That’s no reason to hate her.”

Taako sighs and takes off his hat, wringing the rim of it in his dark, scarred hands. Lup dissipates some of her aggressive energy at the sight of his walls coming down. It’s sibling honesty time.

“I understand why she did it. I respect it and I respect her.” He stares at the kitchen tiles. “I don’t hate her. I just can’t forgive her.”

“Ever?” Lup asks. She leans on the table next to her twin. “Don’t you think that’s a little harsh, bro? She’s been through a lot.”

Taako mumbles, “She put me through a lot, too.”

Lup snatches his hat out of his hands and tosses it onto a nearby chair, ignoring his half-assed protest. He finally looks her in the eye. “I lived in a fucking umbrella for over a decade. Davenport forgot everything but his own fucking name! If we can forgive her, why can’t you?”

Taako’s dark eyes are sharp and bright like obsidian. “With all due respect, pumpkin, you don’t know what it’s like to live without you.”

There are a few breaths where they just look at each other. Lup remembers how awful it felt to be trapped in the Umbra Staff, watching and listening to her brother and her friends in trouble, unable to help them, unable to connect with anyone. But she had her memories. She had a purpose. She had hope.

Taako continues to speak, his voice rough and breaking more than usual. “And when I say, ‘live without you’, I don’t mean missing you, babe. I mean living without awareness of you, without any memories of our life.”

This isn’t news to Lup. She knows what Lucretia fed to Fischer. She knows that Taako and Magnus and Merle and Davenport were extracted from their old lives. But she doesn’t like to think about it too hard because empathy reaches for her heart and squeezes. Imagining a life without Taako is sickening and almost incomprehensible.

“I was so alone, and I always felt like something was missing, but I thought I was just fucked up.” Taako laughs humourlessly. “I mean, I am…just a little bit. You know that. We both are.” His smile fades. “But not having you in my life was as if someone used Hole Thrower on my fucking soul.” She reaches out and holds his hand. Their hands are the same size and they’ve always fit perfectly together. “And then I remembered you. And you were still gone. And I could have been _looking_ for you the entire time! You literally spelled it out for me. But I didn’t even know…”

They don’t usually do hugs. Sure, when Lup finally got her corporeal form Taako wouldn’t let her go for a full three minutes. But that was an exception. Usually, their physical affection consists of fist bumps and braiding each other’s hair. But Lup wraps her arms around her brother and squeezes hard. They both need it. Seems like they’re siblings who hug, now.

“I care about Lucretia,” Taako says into her shoulder. “I don’t want to punish her, that’s not what I’m doing here. But she hurt me in the worst way anyone ever could.” He gently steps out of her embrace. “So, I can’t forgive her.”

Lup’s heart is heavy in her chest as Taako grabs his hat and leaves the kitchen, tray of sandwiches in hand. A few moments later she hears Angus McDonald on the front porch. “Welcome back, sir!”

“Hey, Agnes. You hungry?”

When Lup returns to the beach, Barry asks her if she’s okay. “Yeah, I’m fine. Oh, shit, I forgot the beers.”

“It’s okay, babe.” Barry doesn’t ask her any more questions, but he wraps his arm tightly around her waist. She’s grateful for the grounding contact, grateful for her sweet Barry.

Lucretia and Merle walk down from the house and sit on the sand next to Magnus and Carey. Magnus finishes carving a dolphin out of a piece of driftwood and hands it to Lucretia. She smiles. The hours pass lazily on their perfect day.

Almost 60 feet away from the group, Taako stands ankle-deep in the water. He’s a tiny, solitary figure, staring out at the vast horizon. Lup hates seeing him alone and it’s almost as if her co-worker hears her thoughts because suddenly Kravitz is wading in the water, his pinstripe pants rolled up to his knees. Lup watches the Grim Reaper kiss her brother on the back of the neck and hold him, and the phantom grip on her heart loosens.

Taako will never be alone again. She’ll make sure of it.

**Author's Note:**

> Gosh, Lup & Taako make me emotional. 
> 
> Reviews are always appreciated!


End file.
